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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stock — goods
  3. firm — decided
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tear — from crying
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — a company
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — shares
  15. last — to go on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ball — a dance
  20. last — finally
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com